Vietnam zeroes in on hunger elimination, RoK film festival held in Quang Nam, Bus stations announce Tet holiday ticket plans, Photo exhibition features sea, islands in Hanoi, Can Tho greets 7.5 million tourist arrivals in 2017

 Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee office sent a document of Chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong’s decision to deregulate the ban on wearing Jean, T-shirtat public offices.

 Authorities in the southern province of Kien Giang’s Phu Quoc District urged careful consideration to be given to decisions regarding land purchases.

 The number of Vietnamese travelers to Japan has soared strongly, with an estimated 300,000 arrivals in all of 2017, up a staggering 30% year-on-year, the Japanese consul general in HCMC said yesterday.

While the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) and travel firms have repeatedly called for extending the visa waiver to attract more foreign travelers, other agencies say it still needs thorough consideration.

Vietnam Beverage Co Ltd, a local unit of Thai Beverage Public Co Ltd, has yet to place a deposit in order to bid for a stake of over 25% in Sabeco. This is contrary to what the Ministry of Industry and Trade said in an earlier press release.

 Following are a couple of weekend destinations which might be of your interest. 

 Many domestic and foreign tourists have traveled to Tra Su Cajuput Forest in An Giang Province to enjoy beautiful landscapes and serenity of the must-see destination in the Mekong Delta.

 The Vietnamese tourism sector has identified India as a priority market, with a range of activities being deployed to exploit the South Asian market.

Under the strict competition posed by Uber and Grab, traditional taxi companies continuously issue strategies to entice customers, including cheap fare packages and “bombarding” customers with private messages.

 Special programs will be held in the ancient town of Hoi An to welcome the New Year, said the Centre for Culture and Sports of Hoi An City on December 14.

 The toll of Storm Damrey stood at 123 dead and missing, with an additional 324 people injured and seriously affected in central provinces, especially south-central provinces.

 HCM City’s streets are full of colourful decorations to welcome Christmas and New Year.

 Nearly 100 tonnes of rubbish have been washed up onto the beach at Da Nang City while the waste disposal company said they had too few staff to deal with the pollution.

 A large group of monkeys and douc langurs have been found in a forest in the central province of Quang Tri.   

The State Bank of Vietnam is collecting comments on a draft amendment to Decree No. 24 from 2012 on gold trading management, with the proposed elimination of business conditions for producing gold jewelry and fine arts being the prominent feature.

 Da Nang’s software park has been recognised as a centralised information technology centre – the third of its kind after two in Hanoi and HCM City – following Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc’s decision on December 7. 

Located in Lac Trung street, Hanoi, the robotic coffee shop has attracted a large number of customers these days with a robot serving drinks to the tables.

 EU leaders are expected to formally agree to start the next phase of Brexit negotiations later.

 Walt Disney has agreed to buy the bulk of 21st Century Fox's business for $52.4bn (£39bn), in a deal both companies said position them to compete in the rapidly changing media industry.